en.infoglobe.cz » Hungary: Budapest – Living Metropolis on the Danube - VIDEO
Hungary: Budapest – Living Metropolis on the Danube - VIDEO
Published: 30.12.2014
After a couple of hours in the train, I arrive in the terminus of Budapest Keleti Pályaudvar. Right the main hall of the train station inspires me to take out my camera from the backpack. It is a pity that one would not see here a steam engine. It must have been beautiful. A stay here for two nights prior my flight to Sri Lanka. I am lucky because I managed to get pleasant accommodation in the city center via AirBnb. It costs only 300 crowns a night...
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. It is the 9th largest city in the EU with 1,75 milion people. Originally Budapest was three different cities - Buda, Old Buda and Pest. In 1873, the towns joined into one unit. Budapest is situated on the both banks of the Danube and couple of islands on the river. Large share of the center is part of the UNESCO world heritage list.
There are numerous landmarks spanning from the times of the Roman empire until the 19th and 20th centuries and its typical monumental buildings. Except for this you can visit here thermal springs, some natural wonders (caves), as well as you can take part in cultural activities.
My day starts with a short walk in the downtown center. I simply enjoy the atmosphere and the autumn sun. I breakfast on the bank of the Danube sitting under golden leafed maple trees. Then I go up the stream to the building of the parliament.
Országház the House of the Republic, is probably the largest building in the Pest part of the city. It is also one of Europe’s oldest government buildings. A number of important architects of the era took part on its decorations. The house was finished in 1904. The complex of Országház is 268 meters long and 123 meters wide. Its neorenaissance dome is 96 high. The number symbolizes the date of the arrival of Hungarians to the country in 896. The building is opened to the public. People can take a tour inside.
I walk along couple of museums and return back to the center of Pest. I try to find a good café to perform my daily ritual and also to have a short break. Accidentally I find Espresso Embassy – a modern Berlin-style café. There I get coffee of the highest quality. Pity they don’t have snacks.
When I finish coffee I walk to the old Jewish quarter. There are many small shops and in them old men with long beards and large hats. There is also the largest synagogue in Europe . I do not walk inside. Eventually, I regret it.
However, I do not skip a visit to the St Stephan’s basilica. I do not regret. The buildings is much more prettier from the inside. One could stay and meditate there for long hours. It was built in 1905 as a neoclassical building. It is dedicated to the country’s first Christian king.
After a lunch break in one of the cozy restaurants in the downtown, and after tasting local Tokai wine I walk across famous the Széchenyi Chain Bridge built in 1849 to the other part of the city. In the latter, there is the former royal palace. Unlike the left bank with flat terrain, the right Danube’s bank is characteristic for Buda’s hills . From there you have beautiful views of the city. I walk in Royal Palace, Fisherman's Bastion, monumental Temple of Mathias , and then I watch the sundown for about an hour, and traffic on the Danube .
I conclude the evening in one of the local restaurants and I taste also couple of fantastic wines. I am lucky to find a restaurant with live music. So I can admire talent of Hungarian violinists and dulcimers. I should eat Hungarian goulash yet as I am a vegetarian I am unlucky because I cannot eat it without meat.
The second day I start with a large breakfast. I ponder if I should visit some local museums or galleries. Some are famous for quality and quantity of their collections. Yet enventually I decide to walk in back streets of the city. I visit a flee market, explore a stop of the second oldest subway in Europe (after the Underground in London).
If you decide to visit Budapest and you realize you have plenty of time then you should see the National Museum , Jewish Museum near the synagogue, National Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, or the House of Terror documenting crimes of totalitarian regimes. Also the Museum of Holocaust is very impressive.
I felt in love with Budapest right during my first stay there. I plan to see it again as soon as possible to visit places I missed. The city is lively. You find there nice, quite streets with cafés and restaurants, noisy boulevards lined with fashion stores. Also you can see historic landmarks, museums, galleries, beautiful parks, or infinite number of bars for some night fun. Two days in Budapest is really the minimum necessary to learn about the city!
Five-parts excursion in Hungary is an inspirative talk about interesting places, life style and history of a state, which have more common things with Czech Republic, as originally expected. So, first part is dedicated to a question, why to visit Humgary, why not to be afraid of non-organized travelling, and we shall learn couple ow words in Hungarian language, too.
On a confluence of the Mošonský Dunaj and the River Litava, not far from Slovak borders, there is a beautiful town with houses built mostly in baroque or classicist style. The name of the town is Mosonmagyaróvár and it was founded in 1939 when settlements Moson and Magyaróvár merged.
In the last part, we were talking about the history of the town in a beautiful area of the Lower Danube. Today we will talk more about historic sights and town’s icons and also we will focus on tourist industry. Many tourists from far visit Mosonmagyaróvár each year.
The city of Sopron is located near Hungary-Austrian borders. Due to this fact the city speaks officially with two languages. Today we will introduce you not only the history of this city which suffered of many wars, but we will take you also outside its borders to let you enjoy its nature, which will feast your eyes.
The city of Győr is located near Slovakia on a half way between Vienna and Budapest. Thanks to its location, number of architectonical sights, cultural and natural gems, Győr is among favorite tourist destinations.
If you consider yourself a traveler who doesn't like travelling too much and don't like to travel great distances; or maybe your financial situation restrains you from seeing what you would like to than go to Budapest. Situated in central Europe this city has amazing atmosphere and is pleasure to look at.
Near the town of Miskolc in northern Hungary, you may visit Eger, a smaller town by size and famous for its city castle, thermal baths, baroque architecture and the northernmost minaret of the Ottoman Empire. Let's take a look at it right now.
The picturesque Hungary town of Tihany lies in Vesprem county in the district of Balatonfüred, but such positioning of the Czechs or Slovaks, most will say a lot. Well just add that Tihany is located on a peninsula of Lake Balaton, as many already know exactly where to look.
Szekesfehervar: this town with approx. 100 000 inhabitants (on the way to Balaton Lake) has its extraordinary position in Hungarian's history, as a place where the Hungarian Kings were crowned. As fas as its modern contemporaneity is concerned, well known marks, such as Videoton or Ikarus, are connected with this locality.
Budapest, capital of Hungary, is better (as mentioned before) to visit with some travel agency for the first time. Circular tour does not miss all most important sightseeings, of course.
Anyway, even without assistance, you are able to find your way.
The journey by plane does not concernsonly businessmen and those who are moving somewhere. It does not take long ago. Aircraft is an increasingly common means of transporting us to rest. And no matter if our destination is quite close to Croatia or Singapore. And what about kangaroos?
You would better say - the towns in puszta. As mentioned before, south-east part of Hungary merits special prolonged weekend stay, bringing you completely different experience, in comparison to western part of the country, moreover, the countryside is completely different.
Once one city on the Danube, now two separate cities in two different states. One on Slovak - Komárno and one in neighboring Hungary - Komárom. And the city of Komárom today we head for knowledge of His beauty and rich history.
Even in time period between World Wars, there was a proverb that Hungarians are divided into two nations - inhabitants of Budapest, and those, who are not living in Budapest, countryside people („videki emberek“). This distinguish was really given with enormous differences between capital and small Hungarian villages.
Common project of Hungarian-Slovak Cooperation, known as "Tours Without Borders", financed by means of European Fund of Regional Development, enables to make acquaintance with most interesting localities of East Slovakia and North-East Hungary. "A Trip Across Castles and Chateaux" belongs to one of them.
United project of Hungarian-Slovak cooperation enables to make acquiantance with most interesting localities of East Slovakia and North-East part of Hungary. Tourism Without Borders is a project, coo-financed by means of European Fund of Regional Development.
One of several routes got the name „A Gothic Path“.
Hungary, the country, where Balaton, the biggest Middle European Lake is placed, is rich in thermal springs. In the town of Hévíz a small unique peaty lake can be found. It is six kilometres from the holiday resort Keszthely, in the south-western part of Balaton Lake.
Provided you decide to spend one longer weekend at Balaton-Lake or some thermal spas in Hungary, we recommend you to reserve one week at least to these places. There are numerous possibilities where and how to spend our free days, and it is a matter of your taste which variant will suit you.
Common project of Hungarian-Slovak cooperation (The Tours Withouit Borders, coo-financed by European Fund of Regional Development) will enable you to make acquiaintance with most interesting localities of East Slovakia and North-East Hungary. So, Iron Way is a name for one of routes of such type.